Confessions of a Fashion Designer
by Jeditwins
Summary: They had everything the common folk dreamed of; a nice house, fabulous clothes, and each other. They were London's power couple, and nothing was going to get in their way...except maybe a charismatic blonde haired fashion blogger. Modern AU where Howl and Sophie are taking the fashion world by storm.
1. Where Sophie appears on TV

**Chapter 1: Where Sophie appears on tv  
**

A woman perched on a red suede chair, fingering her hair so her golden curls sat perfectly across her breasts. Figure rushed around her, powdering her face, adjusting the collar of her shirt, and even making sure her stack of papers were neatly aligned on her desk. The room hushed as the lights dim, and the figures scattered off the scene.

"Okay, quiet on set..we're going live in three...two...one"

The woman behind the desk sprung to life. "Hi, I'm Hillary Andrews, and you're watching NewsOnNow, tonight we're joined in the studio by two very special guests, so without further ado, can you please welcome Sophie Hatter, and "The Prince" Justin!" Hillary flashed her shiny pearly teeth to the audience as she was joined on the stage by the couple. A petite slender woman stepped onto the stage first. Her low heels clicked across the tiled floor and she carefully scooped up her pale yellow tea length dress, which complimented her silky white blouse, followed closely behind her was her husband, who adorned a pale blue suit. The two matched perfectly, they complimented each other, almost as if they were made for each other, which they were, as they were happily married.

"Ahh, how wonderful it is to have you in today" Hillary remarked, a tad bit over-enthusiastically, her sudden pitch change squeezed a giggle out of Sophie, who was sitting straightly with her hand crossed over each other in her lap, her husband took a more relaxed approach next to her on the suede couch, he draped one arm casually across the back, lightly touching his wife's shoulder, while he allowed his legs to relax naturally.

"We're just happy to be here, it's always a delight talking to you Hillary" Justin enthused; Sophie twitched at his tone, all Hillary did was laugh. Hillary shuffled her papers around, all while smiling at the camera, "So Sophie, tell me what's the latest in your world". Sophie gleamed, now was her time, "Well Hillary", she chirped, "I'm still working on my spring collection of hats and accessories, so you can look out for that, and-" Justin interrupted her, "And I'm releasing a brand new women's, think flowers, light embellishments etc". Sophie stewed in her spot, but she knew it wasn't wise to say anything, not on live television anyway. Hillary pressed her lips together,

"So, I don't think anyone has really pressed this question before, but why do you insist on separate surnames?"

"Well" Justin eagerly explained, "We both started as individual designers, and we wanted to market our clothes to the individual personality, so with those things in mind, it seemed stupid to just forget about one label"

"Ahh, that makes sense" Hillary fidgeted with her papers again for a bit, unsure on what to say next, "So, despite the self donned nickname of "The Prince" of fashion, we can clearly see that you are the King, with a Queen at your side" Hillary chuckled at her joke, Justin played along, glistening his eyes in Hillary's direction, Sophie however, was not amused.

"Well, thank you for appearing on the show" Hillary glistened again.

...

"What was that?" a fuming Sophie interrogated Justin behind the stage, "Don't think I didn't notice your little interactions out there". A tear welled up in her eye, but her husband did nothing to wipe it away. "We're supposed to be in love". She fell to the ground in a heap, immediately Justin reached for her wrist,

"Sophie, your skirt" he accused, "We're in public, don't start with this now" he threatened. Sophie was about to speak up when the door to the stage opened and a young boy stepped through.

"Oh my gosh, it's The Prince and Sophie!" He practically shouted, "I must get a photo with you, for my sister". Sophie regained her height, not wanting to embarrass herself. The thing is, it had always been The Prince, and just Sophie, she had crawled her way into the fashion spotlight, Justin was merely born into it, it was always going to be The Prince, and her poor, common wife. Once pictures were had, the two walked to Justin's car, and sat in silence on the way back to their apartment.

...

"Did you see that?" An older woman in a red suit remarked, her hair was tied into a stern bun, and exquisite jewellery adorned her neck and wrists.

"How awkward was that?" She huffed, turning around to face a young man, with a chiseled jawline, high cheekbones and perfectly bleached hair, who looked around 26. The woman's face dropped to a sad expression at the sight of him.

"Howl" she pleaded, "You're one of the best fashion stylists and columnists, please show some enthusiasm". The man didn't speak for what felt like hours.

"You know this isn't what I want to do with my life" he argued, all the woman did was roll her eyes

"Oh, I know, the great Howl will not be tied down" she annoyingly said.

"You know" she thought, "I'll make a deal with you"

"One article, if you can get Sophie to talk to the press without her husband present, you can leave". Howl new this was an impossible task, from his memory, he couldn't think of a single occasion where Sophie was seen without her husband, of course, this sparked controversy, because even when they pursued her past life, they couldn't find anything, everything seemed too planned.

"Okay Suliman" Howl said finally, "You have yourself a deal".


	2. In which Sophie is Swept up by the night

**Chapter 2: In which Sophie is swept up by the night  
**

Howl set off on his task, despite the looming reminder that it would not be easy, he was not worried. He had amazing looks, a devilish charm, and charismatic energy, what more could he need to get Sophie to talk? Once she did, Howl was sure she wouldn't stop talking, she must have so much to say; being silent for all these years. After he had completed his talks, he's finally be free from Suliman, and free to do whatever he liked. "Calcifer" he instructed, stepping down from the last step which led to the lobby of the building. A thin, red headed man rushed to his side carrying a camera. Despite his height; he was a good couple of inches above Howl, he looked tiny.

"Calcifer, start up the car" Howl instructed again, holding open the doors for the building allowing his friend to step through. Calcifer groaned a response, but did not go against his words. The truth was, despite Calcifer's great annoyance towards Howl, he and Howl were best friends, since childhood, and it was Howl who got Calcifer the job at Suliman's. Howl always remarked at how easy it was for people to trust Calcifer, and he seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere, recording every moment, so becoming a cameraman came easy to Calcifer.

"We need to go 500m in that direction" Howl pointed, but not really in any direction in particular.

Calcifer sighed again, "Look buddy, you're gonna need to be more specific, I'm not magic". Howl laughed. "And why can't you drive? You have a license" He demanded.

"It's better when you do it" Howl replied, winding down his window and resting his feet on the dash.

"Where are we off to now?" Calcifer asked, checking that the car was in neutral

"Prince Justin's" Howl said sarcastically, god he hated that man, too cocky for the industry.

Calcifer paused, "And how do you know where he lives?"

Howl held up his phone, dangling it mockingly.

"You are the worst, and that's just creepy" Calcifer responded, taking the car into first gear and pulling away from the curb.

...

Sophie sat at the dining table back at the house, her head lay in her crossed arms, Justin sat opposite her with a disapproved look.

"Sophie" he pleaded in a tone that didn't match his face, "You know I love you" he pleaded one again, extending his hand to Sophie's, awaiting a response. Sophie said nothing, and Justin squeezed her hand dangerously hard.

"Yes, I do" she yelped, forcing a loving smile at her husband.

"Good, now clean your face up" he instructed, handing his wife a clean handkerchief, who took it willingly. "Also dinner won't cook itself". The light outside was getting dark now, and the beauty of the sunset took no notice by Sophie, who had resumed her place at the kitchen stove. When dinner was ready, the two took their places once again at the table.

"This soups a little dry, don't you think" Justin mocked.

"It's a soup? How can it be dry?"

"Oh, I didn't mean dry, I meant disgusting, like your disgusting show of attitude earlier at the studio"

"How? What do you mean by that?" tears welled in Sophie's eyes.

"I can act how I want, to who I want, do you understand?"

Sophie nodded, keeping her tears from flowing down her face, she was good at this habit.

"God, I bet Lettie wouldn't do that for me"

Sophie said nothing, she just cowardly sat in her chair.

"Or What about little Martha?" He chuckled

"You leave my sisters out of this" Sophie piped up.

"Oh, the little mouse is out of her cage" Justin stood up, pushing his chair out of the way. He raised a hand to Sophie, but she was gone. "Wait, come back, I'm sorry" he called out, "I love you". The front door slammed.

...

Howl's car came to a rumbling stop as Calcifer cut the ignition. "Cal, where are we?" Howl queried, obviously distressed by the strange location.

Calcifer sighed, "Look, it's a bit strange to park directly at the house, what are you going to do? Walk up to the door and be all 'Hey Justin, good to see you, can I, the worlds most desirable man, known for stealing women's hearts, married or not, have a couple of minutes alone with your wife?'" he undid he's seat belt, "Look, walk over there, and figure it out".

Howl thought for a moment, "Alright, maybe I will" he laughed, opening the door and grabbing is jacket from the back seat. Calcifer watched his friend walk down the road. "I hope he gets kicked out two seconds in".

Howl took in the sights of the lavish home, it was not discreet of subtle at all. Large windows decorated the house which was the most delicate shade of grey. The garden was equally magnificent, with lush grass, and a straight path to the door. Howl stood on curb, thinking about his approach to getting Sophie out of the house. Maybe if he knocked she would answer, wives usually answered the door? Just as he was about to approach the house, he heard a door slam, which caused Howl to quickly retreat into the shadows. He observed a woman run down the path of the house full speed, face in her hands. Howl stepped out of the shadows and pulled the rushing woman away from the approaching traffic of the road. The girl screamed and Howl hushed her with his hand. Drawing attention to himself was not what he needed. Sophie relaxed to the strange mans comfort in the darkness, but quickly resisted when she came to the realization that she was sitting on the ground with her face weeping into a strangers chest.

"Woah, are you alright, whats wrong?" Howl asked, holding back the woman in his arms to see her face. Sophie was flustered, quickly fixing her face, and stopping the tears from forming in her eyes.

"Yes" she forced another smile, standing up, "I just, um, hit my toe on the way out".

Howl was skeptical, "Yes, that's why you were running, wearing shoes".

Sophie was embarrassed, "Well, the truth is, we actually have hideously dirty floors, and it's disgusting to walk around barefooted, and I was running out here because I thought we were being robbed, and here you are", she shifted her gaze down to the strangers shoes, then back up to his face. She stepped back in fear "You're Howl" she checked behind her in fear, "I can't be seen here with you".

Howl stung, "Why? What's wrong?". He went silent before allowing a smile to spread across his face, "Why, is it because your husband, your "Prince Charming" will get jealous and cause a scene?" He chuckled, that hit a chord with Sophie, and she gazed down with embarrassment, "You don't know him like I do" she mumbled. Howl grabbed her arm and led her back into the shadows so they wouldn't be seen.

"Look, I came here to get an article on you, but maybe there's more you want to talk about?" He suggested sweetly

Sophie shuddered, "Look, I hardly know you, and if you ever write about this it won't end well" she sniffed.

"Either way, I need an article, feel like talking?"

"Absolutely not"

Both Howl and Sophie went silent, finally Howl spoke up, "I know, how about you feed me information, on whatever you want, make it up, in return you'll get good publicity" Howl beamed

"I don't know if that will work for me" Sophie fidgeted

"Sophie, where are you? I love you!" A man shouted from the front door.

"Look, I have to go" Sophie started to stand. Howl took her hand and kissed it, "we'll keep in touch" he almost threatened, slipping back into the shadows and disappearing down the street.

"Justin" Sophie remarked returning back to the house.

"Oh Sophie, my love, I'm so sorry, will you forgive me?"

Sophie blushed, taking her hand in his, "Of course" She paused, unsure if she should continue, "Actually if you don't mind, I'd like to visit Lettie tomorrow..alone"

Justin squirmed, but managed to force a smile, "Of course dear" he said through gritted teeth.

Sophie felt something in her pocket she hadn't noticed before, and slipped a hand in there to retrieve it. In her palm now was a business card. To Suliman publishing.

...

 **A/N I know I am aware that I said "night in shining armor" instead of "Knight", I spelt it that way because Sophie finds her savior at _night_.**


	3. Where Lettie Talks Hair

**A/N I'm pretty excited about this fanfic, and clearly I'm the only one, but whatever. Anyway I've been thinking about how to write Howl, where he's that same charismatic, charming, yet self centered, dishonest person as he is in the book/movie, and I think I may have figured it out, I might get some hate for this, but this is the path I'm sticking too.**

 **Warning: Mild Course Language**

 **Chapter 3: Where Lettie Talks Hair**

* * *

"I don't know Lettie" Sophie expressed, sighing deeply as she sat crossed legs on the floor if her sisters apartment. Lettie adjusted her blonde curls which were fixed in a ponytail.

"You need to be careful" Lettie fussed, "I don't want you to get hurt". Her words stung Sophie, she knew that Lettie had no idea about her relationship with Justin, and her comment was directed at Howl, but she couldn't help think what would happen if her husband found out about her interaction with the charismatic writer.

"I will be careful" she reassured, more to herself than Lettie, "Besides, I'm married, it's not like I'm going to run off with him" she chuckled.

"You never know" Lettie added, "He is notorious for stealing girls hearts, just look what happened to Ms Marty". Ms Marty, formally Mrs Fritz, was in a loving relationship, straight out of college, with her eye on the world. But all that changed when Howl was assigned to cover Mr Fritz clothing line, and soon Mrs Fritz and Howl spent more and more time together, until Mr Fritz couldn't take it anymore. Howl left shortly after, no one knows if it was because of guilt that he left, or because it was a game to him, but he left.

Sophie noticed Lettie dozing off, caught in a daydream.

"Lettie" Sophie directed in her direction, "What are you thinking?". Lettie shot a mischievous grin. "Well" she trailed, "Maybe he's not as bad as people say, I mean, his hair-"

"Just because he doesn't have that 'fuckboy haircut" she interrupted, "Doesn't mean he's not a fuckboy". Sophie stood up from the floor, adjusting her jeans so her coral blouse lay flat against them, and walked over to the sink to clean her mug. Lettie knew her sister was right, "A girl can dream you know" she chuckled, following her sisters lead.

Sophie laughed, "He probably applies liberal amounts of axe body spray every morning, how many do you think he goes through?".

"He's the type of guy who asks for nudes, but will also leave you on 'read' when you ask him anything about himself" Lettie added, chuckling to herself.

Sophie shivered, "Ooh, I hate those people, who slither out of anything personal, you know, likes to distance themselves so when they ditch, it's less hard on them". The two girls laugh loudly, so loudly that neither of them noticed the knocking on the door, which got more and more persistent as time went by.

"Let's go Sophie" The man behind the door persisted, "I do NOT have time for you today". Sophie rushed to the door to discover her husband knocking on the other side. "Ahh, Justin, how lovely it is to see you" Lettie gleamed, quickly retaining her professional, yet fun self. Sophie ran over to retrieve her bag which Lettie held out to her, apologizing silently.

"Gees, he's in a mood" Lettie worried, "Is he always like this?".

Sophie forced a smile, "Of course not, he's just been having a lot of trouble with his manufacturers" she tossed, turning back to her husband.

"Stay safe" Lettie called back as she watched her sister leave with her husband. This time Sophie knew Lettie wasn't referencing to Howl anymore, but rather her husbands quick display of his short temper.

...

The two had descended the stairs to the apartment and were out on the street.

"Why didn't you answer the door?" Justin demanded his answer, "Do you know what might've happened should anyone see me out here?"

Sophie turned her gaze to the pavement.

"I wouldn't even be surprised if an article came out tomorrow with rumors that I'm seeing someone, or you're seeing someone" Justin placed his hands on his lips and stroked his chin out of frustration, "What if people heard me knocking?". What Sophie really wanted to say was that maybe the world would finally see him for the monster he was, but better judgement held her back.

Justin slipped his arm around Sophie's waist and looked down towards her, her gaze met his and he bent his head down to steal a kiss. He then took her hand and led her to the car.

"We have a guest appearance on Saturday" Justin said igniting the engine of his car.

"What? Why?" startled Sophie, "We just did one?"

"Yeah, well, I got a call from my manager today, it is kind of sudden" Justin tightened the grip on his steering wheel. The car stopped at the red light and Sophie noticed a tear escape Justin's eye.

"I'm so sorry, I'm just so self destructive, I'm so sorry love". Sophie couldn't help but feel sorry for him at his words.

"It's okay, you're okay, I love you" She blurted out, seemingly unable to stop as she extended her hand to her husbands, who willingly took it and squeezed it for reassurance.

 **7 Years Ago**

The 14 year old with brown hair sat high up on her stool; hat in hand she sewed on embellishments to complete her design. The door to her shop chimed and she was forced to set the hat back on its rest to lend the customer a hand. A tall blonde man who appeared to be about five years older than her admired the hats. Despite her age, Sophie was very comfortable selling hats, here, she was in her element.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Uh, I don't know, maybe you can" He laughed, pulling out a sheet of paper from the breast pocket of his suit. Sophie walked over, and standing on her toes inspected the paper. Printed was a picture of a woman, wearing a jewel encrusted cocktail dress. Sophie was taken back at how glamorous and sophisticated she looked.

"You see, my mother made this gown, and she sent me in her to scout out a possible hat" the man said, searching the shop with his eyes, "Ah yes, here it is" he waltzed over to a stand. Sophie made a face, and tried not to say anything, the man instantly noticed this, despite Sophie's best efforts.

"What? Is it that bad?"

"No" she blushed, "It's just not something I wouldn't pick" she added. The man placed his hands on his hips, "Okay, what would you pick". Sophie waltzed over to the counter and picked out her notebook.

"It's not what we usually do here, but I'm sure we can make an exception" She commented, with her hands quickly sketching out a design. When she was finished she held it eagerly out to the customer.

"Wow, that's amazing, I'll have to show it to my mother" he said, rushing off quite quickly with a huge smile on his face. By the time he had left Fanny had entered the room.

"Do you know who that was?" She gleamed. Sophie shook her head.

"Only the son of the most influential fashion designer this sign of London has seen, let alone the world".

 **4 Years Ago**

The 17 year old Sophie had become quite familiar with the 22 year old Justin and his highly spoken of mother. Justin was taken away by her designs and her thought processes, she was unreal. She was also his best friend, he had helped her start up her own independent label, and she had helped him out of the depression he had slipped into due to the looming expectation to exceed his mothers success.

"Sophie" Justin announced when the two had taken a 'coffee break'

"What is it?" Sophie replied, picking up the concern in his voice. She extended her hand to him in support. Despite her age, she was quite comfortable with consoling people her senior, especially when it came to Justin, they were great friends.

"My mother" he sighed, "She's getting worse". Sophie closed her eyes in a show of understanding. Justin hadn't explicitly said what was wrong with his mother, except that something was wrong.

"Sophie?"

"Yes?"

"If we dated.. we would never break up, we're just that perfect for each other"

Sophie beamed with the delight, and the thought of dating her best friend.

 **1 Year Ago**

"Sophie? Are you ready?" Fanny asked.

"Just a moment" she choked up.

Sophie stood in front of the mirror of her room. Her hair was curled and pinned, or face was prettily painted with purple and gold hues, and a gorgeous white dress clung to her body.

"This isn't me" she whispered, "I think I'm going to be sick".

Hard lips kissed her neck. "There's my bride" they muttered, trailing up to her lips. Sophie grasped the sink for support. "Think of all he's done for you, think about all you've done for him!" she thought over and over. His hands were brought to her waist, and the blonde man pulled her close to him.

"Sophie" he whispered into her ear, "just remember how I helped you, you owe me" he sighed deeply, inhaling her scent, "I could always marry Lettie or Martha instead, I'm sure they wouldn't mind the spotlight". He pulled away from her.

"I'll see you at the church" he called, leaving the room. Sophie breathed on the mirror, she convinced herself she didn't know what was happening, but she knew exactly what was happening, she was helping her best friend.

"Was that Justin who I just saw leaving?" Fanny questioned, appearing in the doorway, "Oh my god, Sophie are you okay?" she rushed to her side and clutched the upper arm of her stepdaughter.

"Fanny, I'm fine" Sophie smiled, "It's just, I never expected to be married at 20" she laughed.

...

For the year to follow they were described as a power couple, they completed each other, what Sophie lacked, Justin made up for. They filled the holes within each other. The two made numerous appearances on TV, movies, talk shows, you name it.

 **Current Day**

Justin had gone to seek his forgiveness in a bottle of alcohol, and had sprawled out on the couch for Sophie to find.

"Augh, I'm appalled by your behavior" She screamed, grabbing her handbag and car keys

"Wait " Justin yelled after he, this isn't me" he jumped up from the couch trying to catch her.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to my mothers" She retorted, still determined.

"I love you, please come back"

Sophie paused, she knew she loved him too.

"What are you doing there"

Sophie inhaled, "I'm going to find myself".

And find herself she did. She found herself in Howl's bed.

* * *

 **Ah, cliffhanger. I would love it if you could leave your reviews/comments/hearts.. as they all are extremely helpful to me. I hope me jumping around the timeline wasn't that confusing. I know the stories going a bit slow at the moment, but it should take it's speed quickly.  
**


	4. Where Howl Opens Up

**Chapter 4: Where Howl Opens Up**

* * *

Two steps out of the door Sophie realized that she had forgotten her keys in all that frustration, and she wasn't going to turn back and retrieve them. She walked to the curb, and kept walking until she had reached a bus station, now all she had to was figure out where she was going. She wasn't going to her stepmothers contrary to what she told her husband, and she certainly wasn't going to end up at one of her sisters. She logically came to the conclusion that she would have to go to Howl's whether she liked it or not, because, whether she liked it or not Howl knew more about her situation than anyone else knew. Luckily for her Justin had sent "exclusive" samples to Howl regularly, because, according to him, "any publicity is good publicity, even if it comes from a stuck up yellow headed blogger". Unfortunately Sophie had failed to grab a pair of shoes on her way out, and she winced at the pain of each step. The pain was more emotional than physical, but that wasn't the point; the pain was there.

At last she reached a tall brick building with a horribly unattractive exterior. If walls could cry, these would. She extended her hand towards the door, and lightly knocked. Waited. Nothing.

"Oh come on, please open up" She whispered desperately. A red headed man started walking up towards the house, checking his phone. He paused when he noticed the woman sitting on the steps of the building.

"Excuse me?"

Sophie looked up?

"Are you Sophie Hatter?"

"Do I know you?" She asked. The man quickened his pace towards her.

"Okay, this is going to sound crazy! But I need you to come home with me" he gasped. Sophie took a step back in fear.

"Who are you?" She trembled.

"Woah, I didn't mean to scare you, my buddy needs to do an article on you" he rushed. Then it struck her.

"You know Howl?" She questioned

"Yeah, known him since childhood" He remarked.

"Is it possible I can see him?" She asked, before realizing that was probably a stupid idea, but it was the most logical one.

"He's not at home at the moment, but you can wait at the apartment".

...

Howls apartment was a lot better than the house she was at before, but not by much. The building was gorgeous, but the inside was messy, cluttered, and unorganized, nothing matched. Sophie thought that this must be what Howl was like, a gorgeous exterior, but horrible on the inside.

"Umm, sorry about the mess, we don't usually bring girls here" Calcifer rubbed the back of his head.

"If you can make room, you can sit on the couch" he shrugged. Sophie did just that, she threw out the chip packets that littered the seat, and stacked up the odd books, letter, and papers on the crowded coffee table. "It's better than nothing" she thought to herself. Calcifer pulled up a stool to sit on, uncomfortable sitting next to someone who was clearly here to see Howl, and was clearly married.

"Care to talk about it?" He ask patiently, opening a can of drink.

"Umm, it's kind of a long story" Sophie muttered, "And yet I'm somehow comfortable telling a man who intends to write all about it". Calcifer sighed at the silent woman on the couch, waiting with her was going to be sooo fun.

"Omg" he exclaimed, before returning to a whisper, "You're running away"

"How did you know?" She gasped, "Well, not for long, just for the night.

"Look, if Howl seduced you here, I'm more comfortable buying you a hotel room, since I figured because of your situation your husband handles all the money".

Sophie nodded.

"Augh, what if he doesn't stick to his word, and this whole thing gets out" she threw her face in her hands.

"Hey, hey, I promise you, this won't get out" Calcifer reassured, "Actually", he trailed off, "You can help me"

"I can?"

"Yeah, you see it was Howl who got me the job as a cameraman, kind of unfortunate though, because it was him who hired me, not the company" Calcifer explained, which intrigued Sophie.

"We're bound by a contract, and Howl's thinking of quitting, that's where you come in, if he can write an article on you, he gets to leave, but then I'm fired. Find a way to stall the article, and a way to get me a job, and I'll stop Howl from publishing anything bad about you".

Sophie thought about it for a moment, could Calcifer really stop a career ruining article? She figured he could.

"You have yourself a deal. I'll break your contract, and you'll watch that curse of an article". The two shared an exchange of smiles, and a promise of their pinkies sealed the deal.

"Calcifer!" Howl chirped up from the front door, "I didn't know you had a girlfriend" he chuckled, walking past them with a bagful of something. He shot Sophie a sarcastic look, "And I didn't know it was with a married woman". Calcifer stood up and helped Howl with whatever it was he was unpacking.

"She actually asked for you" Calcifer retorted. This made Howl stop.

"Oh, I didn't know" he approached Sophie, "Sorry love, but I'm not interested in an affair with the wife of "The Prince" Justin" He chuckled. Calcifer quickly picked up on how uncomfortable Sophie was.

"Look Howl" he said, pulling him back, "That's not how you hit on women".

Sophie stood up and fiddled with her thumbs, "Actually Howl, I um, wanted to take you up on your deal". Howl's face dropped, before becoming absolutely ecstatic. This was a big thing for Howl, but an even bigger thing for Sophie, because for the first time in her life, someone had actually been delighted by her words. Howl rushed forward , wrapping his arms around her and embracing her in a hug; Sophie tensed up at his touch and Howl quickly let go. "Sophie, whats wrong?" he asked, but all Sophie did was shake her head. "No, nothing" she managed to say, worried how Howl would react, but to her surprise he didn't. This was first for a Howl too, he had made a woman uncomfortable, and was worried she would leave and he'd be stuck doing his job.

"Sophie? If you still want to stay I can pull a bed out?" Calcifer suggested, Sophie nodded, "That would be lovely".

"Wait, who invited her in?" Howl puzzled.

"I did" Calcifer spoke opening a broom cupboard.

"Well, if Calcifer trust you, so can I" Howl chirped, "I let Calcifer in from the streets, I'm sure we can make room for one more". At this Calcifer rolled his eyes. Out of the cupboard he pulled out a trundle bed. "Sorry about the bed, it's technically Howl's old bed".

"Oh, that's not a problem" Sophie chuckled, if her husband had any sense of humor she'd tell him that she slept in Howls bed, but Alas he didn't, so Sophie chuckled quietly, maybe she'd tell Lettie, or Martha.

...

Calcifer and Howl gathered in a small room together.

"Calcifer, start talking"

"What was I supposed to do, pretend I didn't see her outside your old place?"

"She was outside shoeless"

"Where were her shoes?"

"She mustn't have grabbed them" Calcifer shrugged, leaving Howl with a clueless expression.

"Do I have to spell it out for you" Calcifer grunted, "Something obviously happened"

"And she told you?"

"Not explicitly"

Howl sighed, "Maybe I should talk to her".

Calcifer stopped him, "Maybe you should take a step back and think about what you're doing", and with that Calcifer walked off.

Howl did think that night, but not about Sophie, instead he thought about the girl in his guest bed, and how she was not in his bed. He thought about the girl, the first girl he's ever met, that wanted nothing to do with him.

* * *

 **A/N Okay I'll admit, I didn't think I'd be able to get the whole "contract/curse" think in there? But I somehow did it?**


	5. A Sole for a Soul

**A/N I'm sorry for how depressing the tone of the story really is, I never intended for it to be so dark, but here we are. Honestly that wasn't the direction I was hoping for. I blame my fingers, I swear they're not connected to my brain sometimes, and they do their own thing.**

 **Chapter 5: A Sole for a Soul**

* * *

Sophie woke up early that day, like she did every other day. But this day was different from all the other days, this day was special. Her gut warned her of an impending danger, but she quickly brushed that aside, blaming it on the strange location she woke in. Howl was still sleeping, and her own tiredness was not pulling her back to bed, so she quickly kicked the covers off. The figured it would be impolite to leave without thanking them for the small bit of hospitality, so she set herself something to do. The brown haired girl started by putting the books she had stacked up into their respective locations, however she was soon appalled to find that there was no order to the books, and they were placed, and fell, wherever they pleased, but honestly that didn't surprise her. She slid the books onto the shelf, and removed the apple core book end. She then started on the two arm chair that adorned the couch, ridding them of the stray food, papers, and books. She dusted the TV, and straightened the furniture, at least this corner of the room was respectable. By the time she was finished it was almost midday, and Howl was out of his room. She quickly concluded that he had woken up much earlier, because he was freshly shaven, had tidied his hair, and smelt heavily of roses.

"Morning" He cheered. Despite watching him walk in, the upbeat tone of his voice startle her, and she jumped a bit. Her tiredness had caught up to her now, and she expressed it with a yawn.

"Oh come now, it's eleven in the morning, you can't be that tired" he laughed, buttering some toast. Sophie jumped again, but this time at the time.

"oh no, no, I have to go" she said, grabbing her bag from the couch and braiding her hair. Howl interrupted her rush, handing her a cup of tea.

"I'm sorry" he genuinely apologized, more at the fact that she was rushing home to Justin, and less at the fact that he wanted her to stay, "You honestly look worse than a girl after a one night stand". Sophie gasped, how rude it was of him to comment.

"Yeah, Howl's right" Calcifer added, suddenly appearing in the hallway, "and trust me, Howl's seen _plenty_ of one night stands". Sophie huffed at these comments , but she knew they were right.

"I was going to head off to work today, but I guess my work has come to me" Howl laughed, "So, tell me about yourself". Sophie was shocked by his words, and the kindness to him, she half expected him to push her to some sort of conclusion, the other half of her expected him to ask her about her quick rise to fame thanks to "The Prince".

"Well, I'm really not all that interesting" she shrugged, "I grew up poor, basically lived my life in a hat shop- that's where I initially met Justin"

"Hmm, how long have you known Justin?"

"What?! Umm, 7 years" She thought

"And you'd say your best friends?" Howl pressed

"I don't know what you're getting at, but it's highly inappropriate " Sophie wept, "If you're insinuating that I haven't had any other relationships you'd be correct, I've been by Justin's side since I was 14"

Howl coughed, "Or rather you've been standing behind Justin since you were 14" he mumbled.

"I was there when his mother died, and I was there when he slipped into depression" she quietly sobbed.

Howl interrupted her thoughts. "If you don't mind Sophie, but I couldn't care less about your Husband, if I wanted his story I would've asked him"

"Right" she glanced down, "I'm sorry"

"No" how worried, "Don't be". He smiled, "Let me buy you some shoes, and maybe something you can wear that doesn't look like you're cheating on your husband. Sophie knew this is what Howl did, he was notorious for his gifts, but she didn't care, her heart was locked and her guard was up.

"I think someone's starting to like her a bit too much" Calcifer whispered.

"Absurd, she's very timid, I just want her to open up" Howl fired back

"Yep, because that's what _ALL_ the writers do: take her shoe shopping" Calcifer added, patting Howl on the back as he walked past him.

...

Sophie always thought that she was inexperienced; in life. Often times she felt robbed, of her life, of her freedom, she wasn't exactly sure, but of her situation; she was losing. Her first tear was when her mother died, but it didn't last long. She was the eldest, she had to be a mother to her sister. The second time she cried was the night of her wedding, but it wasn't tears of happiness. She broke down on the way to the alter, unsure of whether or not she should go through with it, but of course, she was the eldest, and she stepped up. The third time she cried it was like a hurricane. Justin had deemed it inappropriate for her to be making hats, after all she was a designer, she need not make anything. The things she cared about, the things she longed for, had been pulled away from her, and quite fiercely too.

The first time she cried, really cried, when someone had seen her, was when she rushed out of her house the night Howl had found her. The last time she cried in front of someone, was when Howl had found her. She didn't deserve the sympathy, or the affection.

Howl had bought her the most glamorous pair of flats. They glistened and changed color in the light - simply magical. When Howl had picked them out for her he winked and added, "Because sometimes a girl needs to run, and sometimes she needs to kick butt". She paired the shoes with a stunning blue dress which cut her in all the right places, yet kept her "personality protected", as she described it. As the day grew to an end so did Sophie's happiness, and she quickly grew to the realization that she would have to go home soon.

"Well, I really must thank you" she announced, cutting the day early.

"Sophie" Howl interrupted, "Why not stay another night?"

"I can't, I have stuff I have to do tomorrow".

Howl scooped up her hand and winked again, "Go on, keep him thinking". As much as Sophie wanted to return home, an ever greater amount of her wanted to stay, so she reluctantly agreed.

...

"Howl"? she asked in the way home, "Who was the first person you fell in love with?"

Howl blushed, looking at her through the mirror of the car, "Oh, I can't say, it's embarrassing". Calcifer rolled his eyes.

"How many people have you slept with?" She asked bluntly.

"Sophie, where does Lettie live?" He dodged the question.

"Why?"

"I figured it would be better to turn up for your appearance tomorrow is something that actually resembles something you own"

Sophie was puzzled, she hadn't told him about the guest appearance, but maybe it had slipped her mind.

...

"Sophie!" Lettie screamed, pulling her sister in for a hug. The brown haired girl laughed, happily embracing her sister, but her laughter was quickly cut when she felt her sister's anger beneath her. She turned her head to find Howl standing behind her. "Why is he here?" she growled.

"Don't tell me he seduced you?" she worried, fidgeting with her hair.

"No, he's been quite nice" Sophie smiled. No, Sophie smiled a _real_ smile.

"Sorry, I grew impatient" Howl announced

"Howl, it hasn't even been a minute" she fired back, pulling away from her sister, "Okay, really quick, I need some clothes for tomorrow"

"Why?" Lettie was skeptical leading Sophie inside and shutting the door before Howl could slither through. Sophie very broadly explained her situation.

"I hope you know what you're doing" Lettie sighed, passing her a pile of items.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks" She smiled.

...

It was definitely as bad as it looked. Sophie thought back on her words to Lettie; "Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks", "Idiot! You just jinxed yourself" She thought rushing backstage. The noise of someone rushing around cause Justin to turn around.

"You weren't at your stepmother's, were you?" He asked sternly. Sophie couldn't lie, she knew that he knew.

"I'm sorry, I needed some time" she sighed.

"You think this is a joke? I didn't think you were going to turn up, how would I explain that?" He demanded. Sophie fell silent. A man in headphones rushed up to them, "Let's go guys, on the stage". Justin linked his hand in hers and led her on the set.

The interview was slow. She was his wife, and he was The Prince, he talked, she sat. That was until the interviewer stopped beating around the bush.

"Okay" Hillary smiled, "Now for what I really asked you here for". Sophie's stomach turned.

"So tell me, what's your comment on the latest photo spreading around the internet?". The couple were genuinely surprised at this. "What photo?" They both asked in unison. Suddenly an article was projected on the screen behind Hillary, and fronting the article was a picture of Sophie, holding the hands of Howl. There was only one explanation for this article.

Howl.


	6. Howl's Curse

**Chapter 6: Howl's Curse**

Sophie was furious, how could Howl do this to her. In her frustration she spotted the blonde haired writer by the side of the stage.

"I can assure you I have nothing to do with that cocky, self centered man" she raised her voice, "And I WANT nothing to do with him". Justin slipped his hand in hers and squeezed it to reassure her. "Clearly, she was framed" Justin added, "And whoever did this can be expecting a lawsuit".

Sophie stood up. "I don't want to hear anymore about that vile low life" she demanded, Justin took her side, sliding his arm around her waist, "If it means anything to you, I'll be taking my wife home now".

...

Backstage Howl was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't surprise Sophie one bit. Her mind needed peace, and from a sudden burst of courage fueled by her anger towards this man, she was determined to find him. She had quite remarkably convinced her husband to give her a couple of minutes of alone time to collect herself in peace, and she used that time to scout the halls. She eventually found the one she sought to to find posing against the door of a storage cupboard.

"Ahh Sophie, you seem to have a weird obsession with me in dark places" he boasted before lowering his voice to a raspy whisper, "Although I do seem to have an issue with you being married an all". Sophie stepped back from his teases.

"Oh you, why would you do that?" she stormed.

"Why would you call me a cocky, self centered, vile, low life?" He coughed. Before Sophie could throw anything back her husbands voice was heard wandering the halls in search of her, and before Sophie could do anything about that she was being pulled into the storage cupboard. Maybe cupboard was a bit of an understatement, it was more like a small archive room, with multiple rows of shelving units. She stroked the wall to find a light switch, but was rudely interrupted when Howl grabbed her wrist in protest, "It's no use" he shook his head, "You need a key card" he flashed his smile. "Oh that's just great" Sophie slumped defeated, "And it's not like I can just call Justin to let me out". Howl coughed in annoyance, clearly offended at how uninterested she was in him.

"I know what we could do to pass the time?" he snickered, "I do love a good scandal" he ran his fingers through his hair. "Well you clearly haven't met my husband" Sophie scoffed.

"No" How chuckled, but I've met his wife". In a sudden burst of emotion Sophie found Howl's body against his as he pulled her in by her waist, before he could do anything Sophie had wriggled free from his grasp. "How dare you" She demanded. Her outburst was quite relieving, even more so when Howl stepped away from her. "No harm done" He insisted, holding his hands up in he was satisfied that Sophie wouldn't hold a grudge, he strode over to a shelving unit and began pushing it aside. "Howl? What are you doing" Sophie asked, curious. "There's a door back here that doesn't lock - for emergencies". Sophie's jaw dropped, "And how long were you waiting to tell me?" She shrieked "My husband's looking for me". Howl once again rubbed his head, "To be honest, I was hopping something would happen here". "You disgust me" Sophie shot, helping Howl with the shelf.

...

"I don't get it Calcifer, what's wrong with me?" Howl lay on his couch as if it were a therapists office. "Okay, how about you go over what happened after you pulled her, which, In my opinion, was stupid decision". Howl explained that Sophie had resisted, which Calcifer made a note on how unsurprising that was. Howl explained how attractive she looked when she stood up for herself, which Calcifer commented how slightly creepy that was".

"Well" Calcifer interrupted, "This has never happened before - might I suggest". But Howl was already standing up, "Maybe I'm just tired", and he lugged himself off.

...

"Are you alright Soph?". Sophie walked through the door Howl was holding open, "Umm, yeah, just thinking about the article". Howl lifted her chin up and gazed into her eyes. "It'll be alright" he winked. Sophie looked away, "But you're not married, it'll be alright for you". Howl swallowed the lump in his throat, "I've had the witch on my tail ever since". "What do you mean?" Sophie was shocked. Howl laughed, "No, it was silly" . Sophie patiently awaited a response, which made him felt guilty. "Well, I call her "The Witch", she was a woman in the business, like me, and I once pursued her". Sophie huffed, annoyed that she asked, "Anyway, I ran from her when I realized she wasn't that pretty, and of course no one want to hire a woman dropped by me, so she just kind of disappeared" He elaborated, "She's been trying to claw her way up, scandal by scandal, trust me, it's a stab at me, not you". That eased Sophie's mind, at least she had some sort of direction to work in. When they got back to the soundstage, Sophie had spotted Justin, and had wrapped her arms around him, lying about how she got lost.

...

Howl also lied, he was not tired, in fact, he had never been more awake.

"Suliman" he called, "We need to talk"

"If it's about your deal, you forget, it is not open to negotiations"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of backing out" he smiled.

* * *

 **Sorry that this chapter is a little bit under average in length.**


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